Timsanity

Timsanity

By: Aaron Sidhu



         Tim Tebow is one of the most controversial athletes in the world right now. However, it is not for the reasons that many would expect for an athlete in the news. You do not hear about how he is an extremely skilled player, or about how he is an extraordinarily bad player. Nor is he constantly in trouble, whether he is being fined by the NFL, or breaking the law. In fact, he falls under none of those categories. Tebow is a staunch Catholic who prides himself on being a moral person and making right decisions. In a culture where superstar players center their lifestyles around money and women, Tebow is on the other side of the spectrum - in church, praying. Tebow was not given a chance by NFL scouts coming out of college, but after earning an opportunity to finally play, he was able to prove himself worthy of becoming a quarterback in the National Football League.

         Tim Tebow took the NFL by storm the day he was drafted in 2010 by the Denver Broncos. Tebow was a star in college at the University of Florida, winning more awards and breaking more records than his current boss and former NFL star, John Elway. What? Tim Tebow was more successful than John Elway in college, yet he was considered nothing more than a backup quarterback for his entire career? The critics must have overlooked the fact that Elway won an MVP award and two Super Bowls. That's not a big deal or anything. Tebow was a unique breed; the league had never encountered a player who was so openly religious and against what was considered to be normal behavior for an NFL player. It was for this reason that the general NFL fan-base wanted him to get drafted and become a star, even though his college skill-set did not translate well into the NFL. However, all the analysts thought they knew better and they gave him little to no chance of success at the professional level. Despite this, the fans immediately rooted for Tebow to be the starting quarterback for Denver, with no regard for the current quarterback, Kyle Orton. In all fairness to Orton though, the fans would have probably rooted for Tebow to start even if the "Golden Boy," Tom Brady was the current quarterback (at least the male fans).

         The next season, Tebow finally got his chance to showcase his skills, as he was awarded the starting job after the Broncos started the season with a terrible 1-4 record. It was finally his time to shine, and the whole country tuned in to catch a glimpse of the so-called “Tebowmania.”While fans yearned for success, the analysts sat back, popcorn in hand, to watch him fail. Clearly, they forgot that Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy ever, and led his Gators to the National Championship, TWICE. That didn't matter to them though, apparently. It would turn out that all the winning in college helped Tebow after all. What a concept! He not only went on to win his first game, but his next five, pulling off an unprecedented 6-game winning streak and launching the Broncos into playoff contention.  Every member of the sports media was absolutely baffled - his mechanics were flawed, he couldn't throw the ball, his teammates were bad - yet he continued winning.

         The icing on the cake was the first round of the playoffs, which the "Mile-High Messiah" single-handedly led them to. The Broncos were set to take on the mighty Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the NFL's most storied and successful franchises. The Broncos had no business competing with this football heavyweight - it was a classic David vs. Goliath match-up. They might as well have taken the beating, and the rest of the league expected them to do as much. Apparently Tebow never got the memo, since they went on to win dramatically in overtime. Unfortunately, Tebow could not survive another week, and they fell to the New England Patriots in the second round. Coincidentally, they were led by a guy with a similar story to Tebow, Tom Brady. Funny how it works that way.

         Despite all his success, the Broncos signed the legendary Peyton Manning to be their next quarterback. After this, Tebow was shipped off to the New York Jets like a piece of cargo. It was like a birthday present you get from someone that you don't really like, so you re-gift it to someone else. The only difference was that Tebow was actually a great present - Tebow had led the Broncos to the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Broncos organization must have "mile-high" standards for gifts, I guess. However, Tebow, like a true optimist, was not discouraged.  In fact, he was happier than Bob Marley after smoking a couple joints with his pals. Tebow saw the Jets as another opportunity to prove himself to all his doubters in the media. He could have easily pouted like a baby (SEE every star player ever traded), but Tebow instead chose to embrace his new home in New York.

         Hollywood could not have produced a better script for Tim Tebow's story. It was a classic case of the underdog rising to the top against all odds. Tebow was everything a NFL superstar was NOT supposed to be: caring, moral, religious. Instead of having these qualities hinder his success, he used them to his advantage and gained the respect of almost everyone who ever doubted him due to his performance over the past season. Now that he is playing in the Big Apple, he will be on a bigger stage than ever before, and he is showing no signs of cowering.